Engine.



J. MGELWAIN.

ENGINE.

APPLICATION rum) JUNE 20, 1914.

1,1 27,267. Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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9 ligmw @AMMQU J. MoELWAIN.

ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1914.

1,127,267., i I Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

2 8HEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES INVE NTOR View of one set of pistons.

UNIT STATES PATENT FFIGE.

JAMES MOELWAIN, OF WHEELING, W133! VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO BENJAMIN A. LAWS, PITTSBURGH, EENNSYLVANIA.

ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 20, 1914. Serial No. 846.860.

To all whom it may concern Be it knownthat 1, JAMES MoELwAm a citizen of the United States, residin at Wheeling, in the county of Ohio and tate of West Virginia, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Engines, of which the followin is a full, clear, and exact description, re erence being had to the accompanying specification, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line IIII of Fig. 2 of one form of my improved engine. Fig. 2 is an end view partially in section, and Fig. 3 is a plan Fig. 4 is a developed plan View of the cam. v

This invention relates to an improvement in reciprocating engines and is designed to provide a cheap and eflicient device of this character in which the reci rocating motion of the pistons eating pistons.

. I have shown an engine having eight cylinders and pistons in two sets, each set containing four, the one set being placed at 90 from the other about the driving shaft 3. This driving shaft 3 is provided with a earn 5 and a balance wheel 6. Connected adja cent to each end of the driving shaft 3 1s a. skew gear 7 which meshes with skew gears on shafts 8 at right angles thereto, there being two of these shafts at each end. of the cylinder, each of which is provided with cams 9 arranged to actuate the valves 10 and 11 for admitting the explosive mixture to the cylinder and also for permitting the spent gases to be exhausted therefrom.

In Fig. 3, I have shown in plan view,'a set of pistons for one set of cylinders, which comprises two pistons 4, at each end thereof, one cylinder at each end being connected to a. similar cylinder at the other end in alinement therewith by means of a block 12. 'These blocks are faced off along adjacent faces and are secured together by means of through pins 13. Connected to drawings, forming part of this.

will be directly converted into rotary motion without the use of. coneating the blocks 12 along the longitudinal center, thereof and on opposite sides of the transverse centers are rollers 14, which engage the rib 15 on the cam 5.

It will readily be understood by those familiar with the art that as there are four cylinders in each set, a charge will be fired n each cylinder for each set, so that for every four reciprocations there will be a charge fired ineach cylinder, and as there are two sets of cylinders there will be two charges fired for each reciprocation. In order to overcome the thrusts on the shaft 3,- a cylinder of one set at the left hand slde of the cam is fired at the same time that Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

a cylinder at the right hand side of the cam .of the other set is fired. It will also be understood by those familiar with the art that I can increase or decrease the number of cylinders of each set, as Well as increase tlfiefrz'umber of sets of cylinders around the s a As the skew gears 7 and 7 B on the shafts 3and 8' are the-same s1ze,"the shaffts 8 will make one revolution for each revolution of the shaft 3, so that each valve 10 and 11 will be actuated by its cam once for every revolution of the main shaft.

As before stated, I have shown-my invention applied to an explosive engine, but it'will be readily understood by those familiar with the art that the principle is adapted to reciprocating motors of any type, in which it is desired to transpose a recipromotion to a rotary motion. It will also be understood that the valve mechanism as well as the actuating device therefor can be changed and actuated in any desired manner. y

The advantages of my invention result from the provision of a motor having a plurality of reciprocating in line therewith, together withconnections for transposing the reciprocating motion of the pistons 'to a rotary motion of the shaft. Another advantage results from "the provision of means for causing the movement of. one piston to be counteracted by a similar piston and thereby overcome the thrusts on the main shaft.

I claim: Y

1. A reciprocating motor having a rotary shaft and a plurality. of cylinders, a piston in each cylinder arranged to reciprocate approximately parallel, with the longitudinal pistons and a shaft with the longitudinal axis 0 aids or the shaft, mechanism cdnne teqitb,"

. the shaft and one of the pistons for rotating the shaft, driving mechanism oppositely act ing at all times connected to the shaft and the other piston, said driving mechanisms engaging the 'shaft .to simultaneously exert a torque thereon in the same direction while the pistons are moving in opposite directions; substantially as describe 2. A reciprocating motor having a rotary shaft, a pluralityof sets'of-cylindfis 8P proximately parallelwith the axis of the shaft, each set having one cyl-. inder at op osite endsof the motor, a piston in each cylinder, shaft-driving mechanism connectingoneset of pistons with the shaft,"

and driving mechamsm oppositely acting at all-times connecting the other :set of cyl- I inders with the driving shaft, said driving 4 mechanism engaging the shaft to'simultane ousl; exert a torque thereon in the same directlon while thepistons of one set are movingin an opposite direction to the pistons of the other set; substantially as described.

{3. 'A motor having a rotary shaft, a cam on said-shaft having diverging acting p'ortions of equal length in degrees, a plurality of sets of cylinders, each set'having one cylinder at each end of the motor, a iston in each cylinder of each set connecte to each arallel the she t, driving mechanism connecting the cam and one setof pistons, and driving mechanism connecting the cam and the other set of pistons and spaced from the first'mechanism a mum ber-of degrees divisible by 'the number of other and arranged to recigirocate actin I plura itvpf sets of cylinders ongitudinalamaze"! f d greeslinflie' Ciilil ortions, whereby said dr ving mechanisms engage diverging cam portions to simultaneously exert a torque on'the shaft in the same direction while the pistons of one set 'move in the opposite d1- rection to the pistons of the other set; sub-' 1 and spaced from the first mechanism a num ber of degrees divisible by the number of degrees in the cam portions, whereby said portions to simultaneously exert a torque on the shaft in the same -direction while the pistons of oneset move in the opposite direction'to the pistons of the other set; substantially as described.

' In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set i a my hand.

, JAMES McELWAIN.

Witnesses:

D. J. GIBsoN,

B. :A. Laws.-

approximately itudinal axis of the";

as "mg-mechanism connecting the cam and one driving mechanisms engage diverging cam 

